Rethinking Women's Roles: Perspectives from the Pacific PDF
Preview Rethinking Women's Roles: Perspectives from the Pacific
RETHINKING WOMEN’S ROLES Perspectives from the Pacific EDITED BY DENISE O'BRIEN & SHARON W. TIFFANY RETHINKING WOMEN'S ROLES Perspectives from tke Pacific Edited by DENISE O'BRIEN and SHARON W. TIFFANY ‘This book is about women in Pacific Island societies, particularly the indigenous women ‘of Melanesia, It is also about those expatriate women who came to these islands t settle, missionize, or visit. It is the lives and experiences of these women thar rhe authors of this book seek to illuminste as they rethink women’s roles in the light of feminist research. Anthropologists have long been fascinated by che cultural diversicy of Pacific Islend socieries. Although much scholarly research has been done on this region; it is the male ‘world that has most often served as the core of ethnography while the roles of women have generally been perceived 2s unarginal to those of men. In the introduetory chapter, Sharon W" Tiffany urges anthropologists 10 explore the relationship between Western images of women and the impact of these images on research. Arguing that anthropology should be linked to fem perspectives, she cites the need to critically evalnare anthropological understandings aboat women derived from male discourse. The chapters that follow range geographically across Oceania and present new research that integrates the female experience into Pacific ethnography. Topics include: zntkropological cheories abone sex Continued on Pact Flop Rethinking Women’s Roles (inwiaum Rethinking Women’s Roles Perspectives from the Pacific abted by Denise O'Brien and Sharon W. Tiffany UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS Berieley Loe Angelos London University of California Press Berkeley and Ly Angeles, California Universty of Cahlonnia Press, Ln Londen, Eaghnd Copyright © 1584 by ‘The Regents ofthe University of California Likeary of Congness Cataloging in Publication Nara ain orary under se Rethinking, women's rk Based om papers presented at Z consecutive mestings of the Aswciatim for Save Anihropelagy in Cceania, Vildigrapl: p Includes inde Cntonts: Feminist perceptions in antherpwiogy i Sharan W Domestcity and the denigrsteno* women Marlyn Strathern—Comyalementaity the relationship Leween Female nid mle in the Fase Sepik Vilage of Burs, Papua New Guincs ) Naney MeDowellfete.] 1. Women—Melanesit—Congresses, 2, Sew roloe—Melansis— Congresses, 3. Wemen—Ocetnia Congresses 4. Ethnology —Methodology— Congresses, 5. Melanesis~Sceial conditons—Congresses, 6, Qseaaia—Social condhiions—Congresses. 1. OBrex, Denise. UL. TiTimy, Sharon W TIL, Assexiation for Social Anthropology in Oveania G66. 98H 5.42000 ern ISBN 05-570-051424 Printed in the United Stes of America To the memory of Margaret Mead Contents Editors’ Pretace 1 Introduction: Feminist Perce ‘Anthropology Sharon W. Tiffany 2_Domesricity and the Denigrarion nf Women Warilyn, Stratbarn 3_Comple arity: The Relationship between 82 Female and Male in the Fast Sq of Bun, Papua New Guinea Naney WcDowelh ik Vilage 4 “Women Never Hunt”: ‘The Portrayal of, Women in Melanesian Ethnograph: Denise OB 5_ Revenge Suicide hy Lusi Women: n An Expression of Power “Dorkly Ayes Cams 6 Women, Work, and Change 9 in Nagovist Tit Nash 7_Pigs, Pearlshuells, and ‘Women’s Work’: 120 Collective Resporise 1 Change in Highland Papua New Guin F Sexton B “Sing w the Lord a New Song”: Women 153 in the Churches of Oceania Charles W. Farman 9 European Women in the Solomon Islands, 17a 1900_ 1942: Accommodation and Change References 201 Contributors 220 Indes 0a Editors’ Preface This volume grew nut of papers an the geneeal ropir of Women in Oceana presented at Iwo consecutive meetings of the Association for Social An- Uhropolagy in Olvaria, fer a working sesion in Clearwater, Flor, in 1979, im Which over tweaty:seholsrs participated wis el symposium and any resulting publ cation must t oF themes in order to be successful. The most significant issues emerging from the working session concerned models and images of womer: in society’, the relationship between women and power, and the historical charge in women's roles. We asked members of the 1980 symposium in Galveston, Texas, to diaesss one er more ofthese themes, which, inturn have steuetared the chepters ia this bock. ur work began with the incent to produce a book about women of the Pacific. Instead, this is a volume sbout the lives and experienees of women in Melanesia, and it does not give comparable coverage to che other culkure areas of Oceania, ‘The reasons ‘er this coreentration are various particular to chis boos, otkers are related to the nature of anthropological researet it Ovcania and « the mature of Pavtie Isaud soeieties. With he exceptions of Tiffany, who worked in Samea, and Forman, whose research extends beyond Mekizesia, all other contributors condueted their primary research in Melanesian soeieties. Chapcers with a strong ethnographic feus ‘Counts, chap. $; McDowall, chap. 5: Nash, chap. 6; and Sextem, chap. 7 are hased on the authors’ fieldwork in Papa New Guinea, ‘The historical and. theoreti chapte-s (Boutilier, cha. 9; Forman, ehap. 8; O'Brien, chap. 4;2nd Strathera. chap. 3} deal rimarily with Melanesian data, although thers is comparative materia trom Australia, Nb three chapters Tiffany, chap. 1; Forman, chap. 8; O'Brien, chap. 4 Anthropologists have lang heer hseineted by’ the cultural diversity’ of Melanesia, and are has only ta mention Mead and Malinewvshi to rera that some of tae classic ethnography af this century has been dane there. iter World War Il, when anthropological -eearch intensified throughout she Pacihc, researchers were drawn to Melanesia by the dual epportunities of building on ehese classic foundations and of working in societies shat had experienced litle or no contact with the nen-Melanesian world Melanesia is an arera where the influence, ideas, and ambitiors of European and Asiatic powers have met and mingled for contarioe, most tata format mites ruimber inesia, and Polynes:a 19 ‘ar histo- £ Eanors Pretaoe ramascally during se sc hundred years. Events in Melanesia fer unique perspetves en the dives of econ expevienct, fem situations. and “That recon for our iniilly ninterded focus is that the ethnographic and sto questions abut women raed in he volume sn be dsc sel vr tems of Melenesinn soxieticn, Mlensia highlight, ten in sing and ambuyant sys the diflerencesbetwsen feral onl male and the sir tance gener in coca, econ, ane plea int trons, We emphsee {hats tnuk about momen de Mela Athough much of or atenion ha ben dete ndigenoas ween, ns have alo ben concer ¥ th The se of Europea cae i Ue Pale the one (eure chap. 9 Forman, ep. Br and ay elmogaphers (OBrien, chap. +; Strathern, chap. 2). ace names inthe Pacis have ad a eonfsing evolution over the ast sande years efeing the any pt changes nthe ae The ge graph ab plicalconnotitins the ames ed in Eelam te uw eens (ig. 1) ncldes four major uur Misrenesin, and Pees “Vln (ig. 2 Ceographialy the prinpal led seas ae the sand of New ivan: the Sean lskrds, New Britny New rend, New Calonia, Vanvate tonrsly dhe New Hetsides Fi : Australia, Melanesia, the Loyalty. Islands. ‘New Guinea (ig. 2). Now divided politically ine Irian Jaya, a province of lnconesia, and jeferred w geograpieally ay West New Guiza; and Papua New Guinea, a country that dependent in 1975, re‘erred 1 get xraphically as East New Guinea, Poliically, Papua New Guinea also includes he neighboring istancs of Manus, the Trobriands, the D’Entrecasteaux, the Lowsinde Arenipeligo, New Ireland, New Britain, Buka, and Bougainville Baka and Bougainville ane geographicelly part of tke Solomon Islands ar chipelago, Prior to 1953, when West New Guinea passed under Indonesian control, it was a colony of the Netherlands and was ealled Dutch New Guinea or Nederlands Niewe-Cuines. Since 1953, West New Guinea has sernetimes been called West Irian or Irian Barat. Prior to 1973, East New Guinca was divided into two polizical units, both under Austr the Territory of Papua and the Territory of New Guince, eollzetively known as the Territory of Papua and New Guinea (abbreviated TPNG). The Ter= riwry of New Guinee has also been knowr: as Northeast New Guinee, the iste Trust Territory of New Guinea, 1 conditions. Papua was called British New Guine! man New Guinea,
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